Lesson Plan
Understanding Addiction Pathways
By the end of this 50-minute one-on-one session, the student will explain how vaping hijacks brain reward pathways, identify personal stress triggers, and complete a stress-to-coping map to build healthier coping strategies.
At-risk 9th graders benefit from personalized guidance on addiction science to make informed choices about vaping and practice concrete coping skills when stressed.
Audience
Time
Approach
Materials
Prep
Teacher Preparation
10 minutes
Step 1
Session Opening & Objectives
5 minutes
Step 2
Explore Addiction Pathways
10 minutes
Step 3
Brain on Vapes Overview
10 minutes
Step 4
Interactive Discussion & Triggers
10 minutes
Step 5
Mini Assessment
5 minutes
Step 6
Stress-to-Coping Map Activity
5 minutes
Step 7
Introduce Trigger Tracker Journal
3 minutes
Step 8
Wrap-Up & Next Steps
2 minutes

Slide Deck
Brain on Vapes
What’s Inside a Vape?
Nicotine & the Brain’s Reward Pathway
Immediate Effects of Vaping
Long-Term Brain Changes
Why Teen Brains Are Especially Vulnerable
Protecting Your Brain

Script


Activity


Journal

